Ralph e



(No Model.)

' R. E. ROBISON.

ANIMAL TBTHER.

No. 484,377. Patented Oct. 11, 1892.

WITNESSES INVENTOH UNITED STATES PATE T OFF CE.

' RALPH E. ROBISON, OE ATOKA, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO LENA ROBISON,

' OF SAME PLACE.

ANlMAL-TETHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,377, dat d October 1892- Applioation filed April 12, 1892.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH E. RoBIsoN, of Atoka, in the county of Tipton and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Animal-Tether, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel and efficient animal-tether pole of' simple construction, which is portable, and that may be readily erected at any desired point, and afford means to secure an attached animal, so as to prevent it from passing beyond a prescribed limit and avoid injury to the beast.

To this end my invention consists .in the peculiar construction of parts and their combination, as is hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 isaperspective broken viewof the device. Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken view of the device, taken opposite the arrow 2 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken and partlysectional View of part of the tether, taken opposite the arrow 3 in Fig. 2.

There is a post A provided, which is preferably made of wood, tapered at one end a to permit it to be inserted upright in the ground, there being a longitudinal perforation formed a suitable depth in the body of the post from the upper terminal for the reception of a standard B. The piece B is jointed at b and projects vertically a proper length for effect ive service, and at c is bent to incline laterally, the upper terminal 61 being adapted for the secure attachment thereto -of a tether rope or chain 0.

Upon the portion of the standard B, which engages loosely with the socket-hole in the post A, below and near to the joint I), an arm 6 is secured, which projects therefrom, preferably at a right angle to the standard.

The standard B is transversely perforated at a suitable point above the joint I; for the loose retention of-a curved radius-bar g, that has one end located in the perforation mentioned, and is held from displacement by a washer g or other equivalent means. The

Serial No. 428,817. (No model.)

lower end of the radius-bar g has a detachably-secured engagement with the outer end port-ion of the arm 6 when all parts are assembled, and thus forms an arc of which the pivotin the joint bis the radialcenter. Upon the radius-bar g a spiral spring h is located, and washer-blocks t' are also strung upon the said bar, forming seats for the ends of the spring. Said blocks also serve to increase the tensional force of the spring h by compressing it somewhat, and may be exchanged for thicker blocks, or other blocks may be placed on the bar upon the first pair to increase the power of the spring.

In service the post A is forced into the soil at any point wherethe animal is to be allowed to graze, and the standard B is inserted n the socket at the top of the post, which Wlll retain the latter in an upright position, free to swing and describe a circle with its end portion d, the spring h holding the standard normally elevated. The animal to be tethered is attached to the rope or flexible connection O, which is extended to a proper length to allow the beast to graze over an area as large as desired. Theheight of the standard B is so proportioned that the tetherrope C will be held from trailing upon the ground while the animal grazes over the entire plot of pasture defined by the sweep of the bent standard and the tether-rope, the spring h being compressed by the effort of the tethered animal to lower its head and reach the grass, the joint 17 permitting the standard or pole B to incline nearer the ground when stress is put upon the tetherro e.

An essential feature of the invention consists in providing the radius-bar g for support of the spring 71,, which will thus be maintained in serviceable condition, and in case the spring weakens from use it may be slightly compressed if the washer-blocks i are increased in thickness, as before mentioned. The radius-bar g is also adapted from its position to stiffen the joint I) and brace this connection of parts, the bar sliding through the perforation in the upper part of the standard when there is'a fiexure of the joint.

The constant draft on the tether-rope C prevents it from being tramped upon or becoming entangled with the legs of the tethered animal.

As the entire device can be readily carried by one man, it affords convenient means to .5 secure an animal where grass or other herbage grows that is suitable for its food and permits the beast to graze within prescribed limits, thereby restraining it from doing injury to crops or from roaming at will.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In atether, the combination, with a socketed post, of a standard formed of two sections pivoted together, the upper section being apertu red and the lower section seated in the socket of the post and provided with a lateral arm, a curved bar having one end secured to the said arm and its other end projecting through the aperture of the upper section of the standard,and a spring surrounding the bar, substantially as herein shown and described.

RALPH E. RoBIsoN.

Witnesses:

W. E. BAIRD, H. A. BAIRD. 

